Abstract
Ionactis caelestis Leary & Nesom is a new species known from a single population that occurs on the Aztec Sandstone near Bridge Mountain in the Spring Mountains of Clark County, Nevada. It is placed in the genus Ionactis (=Aster subg. Ianthe) on the basis of its crowded, multicipital crown, lack of persistent basal leaves and presence of densely arranged cauline ones, strongly carinate phyllaries, blue rays, disc style branches with linear-lanceolate appendages, asymmetric carpopodia, double pappus, and chromosome number of 2n = 9 II. A key to the four species of the genus emphasizes the distinction of the new species in its taproot, the abundant, large, glandular trichomes on its stems and leaves, and disc flowers with sterile ovaries. Ionactis is more similar to the goldenaster (Heterotheca) lineage than to Aster, with which it has been allied formerly. The core of the goldenaster genera differ from Ionactis primarily in their yellow-rayed heads, the crystal complement within cells of their disc corollas, and their primarily multinerved achenes.
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